Cimmerian Dream
by PyroTheWereCat
Summary: "Some human memories and tearful lore, Render him terrorless: his name's "No More"." - Silence by Edgar Allan Poe    Slight AU for Infection symptoms and setting. Nick's POV  possible Nellis pairing later on
1. Chapter 1

"Everyone get inside!" Coach shouted, holding the door to the safe house open. Rochelle darted in first, then Ellis.

"Come on, Nick! We ain't got all day!" Nick ran backwards toward the door, firing shot after shot into the Horde.

"Nick!" Ellis joined in the shouting, "Get your ass in here _now!_"

"Alright!" As a final measure to ensure no Infected got into the safe house, he pulled the pipe bomb he had been saving from the inside of his once-white coat and lit the fuse.

"_Fire in the hole!" _The remainder of the Horde abandoned their quarry immediately as the bomb sailed to the far end of the alley. Nick didn't wait to watch the explosion. As the door slammed shut behind him he did not dare look back. The splatter of blood and chunks of flesh on the door was enough for him. He leaned against the wall trying to catch his breath. He grinned at his fellow Survivors.

"That was pretty close, huh?" he said. Rochelle and Coach glared at him and Ellis merely shook his head.

"Too close," Coach said, "Next time you find yo'own safe house." At that Ellis's head snapped up, his blue eyes wide. Nick didn't think he realized anyone noticed.

"If it happens again, I will," Nick responded casually, feeling Ellis's stare turn to him. There was a thick unease in the room yet Nick continued to smile and investigate the area for anything useful. Getting kicked out of the group wasn't a big deal to him. He wasn't going to keep in touch with these people after evacuation anyway. He would miss Rochelle's face but not her attitude. He would forget Coach existed after about a month if that. As for Ellis, it would take some getting used to not having to yell at the stupid, cheery redneck every five minutes. Nick pictured himself in two weeks still looking over his shoulder expecting Ellis to be right behind him. It was a sad image but it made the man chuckle under his breath. Of all of them, Ellis would be the one he missed the least.

.

The following day the team set out again into the lethal maze of the dead city. Nick was feeling good, confident. Soon he would be rid of these idiotic people. When he was evacuated alone he would tell the military about them to show his measly gratitude for watching his back but he wouldn't wait for them. He had always considered friendship to be a pile of horseshit and a waste of time.

It was mid-afternoon when the next Horde attacked and Nick couldn't have asked for better timing. The safe house was just around the corner but it was still relatively early. Alone he could find another one further down the road and be closer to evac than the moron brigade. Everything was going great...until the Jockey decided Nick's head had gone too long without its crotch rubbing on it. He hadn't even noticed the little bugger until it was jumping onto his back. Now he was being directed straight into the heart of the Horde and he doubted the others either wanted to help or were even able to. _Lived a good life_, he thought as the mass amount of zombies began to swallow him, _for the most part._ And then the Jockey was gone. Just like that. Bewildered, Nick turned to see a very angry and very worried looking Ellis holding a shotgun and attempting to drag him out of the Horde.

"Come on!" he shouted. Recovering from the initial shock, Nick moved, fighting off Infected alongside the boy. It seemed they could not get out completely unscathed as one zombie grabbed hold of Ellis's left arm and bit down hard. The cry of pain was not a sound Nick ever wanted to hear again yet it echoed in his ears as the boy pulled his arm sharply away. Finally they made it out of the throng and back to the others.

"Are you all right?" Rochelle asked, covering their backs.

"Yeah, we're good!" Ellis replied. He winced. Nick's eyes fell to the wound.

"Let me take a look at that," he said, reaching for the arm. Ellis jerked it away from him, refusing to meet his eyes.

"I'm fine," he growled.

"Ellis, you're bleeding pretty bad. Let me wrap it."

"Leave it, Nick." Nick ignored this demand and yanked the boy away from the group to examine and bandage the wound. It was deep, uneven teeth marks pierced into the flesh and muscle. Ellis wouldn't look at it. Nick wasted no time in wrapping it with spare gauze. He would have to clean it later when they were safe. At least for now he wouldn't bleed out. As Nick finished, Ellis grabbed his sleeve.

"Don't tell them," he said.

"What?"

"Coach and Rochelle. Don't tell them about this." His blue eyes were fearful as he stared at the older man. Nick knew something was off but he agreed nonetheless. They continued to fight and soon the Horde was reduced to nothing. The group could walk in peace to the safe house. Not halfway there Ellis, who had been walking a little slower than the rest of them, dropped face down to the pavement. Rochelle reacted first.

"Ellis!" she shrieked, dropping her gun and rushing to his side. He was abnormally pale and haggard looking...he had fainted. Despite himself, Nick felt worried.

"What happened?" he asked as Rochelle gently attempted to wake the boy, "Did he trip?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. He was fine before!" Coach, standing guard while the others tended to Ellis, added his own two cents.

"He might be dehydrated. It's been a long day and I haven't seen him take a drink once." Though that was a logical reason Nick couldn't help but doubt it and worry more. Ellis's frightened look when he asked him not to mention the bite...Could it have been that he was not immune to the Infection after all?

"Come on, Ellis baby, wake up." Finally he groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Rochelle felt his face. She looked up at the others.

"He's burning up," she said softly, cradling his limp form, "We've got to get him to the safe house and call for help." Nick felt ill suddenly. Was Ellis infected? Would they have to kill him? And if this wasn't the Green Flu, would they be able to find help for him? The biggest question was:

_Was Ellis going to die?_

Nick and Coach were given the task of supporting Ellis's limp and heavy body the last stretch to the safe house. The kid could walk but barely. He often stumbled or his knees gave out. Rochelle took point, keeping an eye out for any zombies to threaten their trek. It seemed like hours had passed by the time they finally reached their destination. Nick and Coach eased their ill charge onto a beaten grey sofa.

"Watch him," Coach ordered as he moved around the safe house to double check barricades and resources. Rochelle found a radio on the table along with a few health packs and wasted no time in using it. The world had seemed to go too fast but also in slow motion for Nick as he stood near the couch. Would help come in time and would that even be enough?

Ellis moaned softly in his feverish state, shifting uncomfortably. His face glistened with sweat and his breathing had hitched. Nick eyed the bloody bandage on the boy's arm and couldn't hold the secret anymore. The others had a right to know.

"Hey, Ro?" Nick said, his voice low and choked, "You get a hold of anyone on the CB?"

"Yeah," she replied, "Someone will be here tomorrow to check up on Ellis. The group I contacted has a nurse with them and they're close by." Nick swallowed, his nervousness growing with each passing moment.

"I don't know if he'll make it that long." He pointed at the boy's arm. Rochelle gasped and leapt back.

"Oh my god!" she whispered, her dark eyes wide, "I-is that-?" Nick nodded.

"He didn't want you to know. I'm sorry." What was he sorry for? He had no feelings for either of them...right? Rochelle turned away, her hand pressed to her mouth. Coach returned to the room from upstairs.

"Why is everyone so grim-faced?" he asked, looking between them. Rochelle looked at him, her eyes welled with tears.

"Coach," she said with a trembling voice, "Ellis has been...bitten." Ellis coughed and all eyes turned to him.

"Why'd you tell 'em, Nick?" he mumbled, "I thought we had a deal." Nick felt a burning in his eyes and a swelling in his throat.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," he choked out, "We had to get help so you can get better." Ellis shook his head.

"I ain't getting better."

"Don't say that, Ellis," Rochelle piped up, "I've just radioed for help. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna be just fine." She had moved to his side and grasped his hand. Ellis smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry, Rochelle." Nick involuntarily shuddered. The complete lack of strength in that whisper frightened him. The sense of doom in his gut would not go away. He knew, knew but didn't want to accept, that Ellis would die. He wasn't immune. He would die and the whole group would fall apart. _This is not happening_, Nick thought, backing away to a wall and sliding down it, _This can't be happening._

As time dragged on Ellis's condition quickly grew worse. He was white as a sheet and he coughed nearly nonstop. He shivered like it was bitterly cold but his skin was burning hot. He barely opened his eyes but when he did, all brightness had left them, nearly grey now instead of the vibrant blue they once were. He grunted occasionally with pain, both from his wound and his abdomen. And he called out frequently. Always in the more violent throes of his fever and always for Nick. The con man had taken to a constant vigil at the boy's side, trying his best to comfort him until the end.

"Nick..." the sick boy wheezed, his sunken eyes shut tight, "Nick..." Nick grasped his hand with both of his own.

"I'm here, Ellis." The mechanic sighed, some tension eased from his face.

"D-don't leave, okay?" Nick blinked. What a thing to say at a time like this.

"Don't worry. I'm here."

"No...What I meant was-" His words were interrupted by a fit of harsh coughing and Nick winced as some blood appeared in Ellis's free hand. The boy laughed, short and humourless.

"Sure is cold all of a sudden, huh?" he asked with another shiver. Nick thought a moment, then pulled off his jacket and draped it over Ellis. He said nothing but smiled and snuggled into the jacket. Nick shifted from his knees to the side of his thigh and rested his head and arms on the edge of the couch. He was so tired...

Someone was shaking Nick. When had he fallen asleep? How long had he been asleep? The shaker was Rochelle.

"Nick, you have to move now," she said, "The nurse is here to look at Ellis." He stiffly stood and looked at the sick boy...and he dearly wished he hadn't. Ellis had gotten worse during Nick's nap and looked less like a living, but very sick, person and more like a clammy, breathing corpse. Nick stifled a gag. He couldn't imagine the pain the poor kid must have been experiencing. The nurse from the other group approached the couch and checked his vitals. She then examined the bite on his arm. The bandage was stained with blood and a slightly greenish tinge. The nurse flew back, her eyes wide.

"He's infected!" she gasped, "Why haven't you put him down already? If not for your own safety, at least to end his pain! Do you know how much he's suffering?"

"You're wrong!" Nick shouted, startling himself along with everyone else. "He's okay!" He moved to Ellis and took hold of his hand. "He's okay..."

"Sir, you're gonna have to step away from the Infected," the nurse said with calm, quivering authority, "At the rate he's going he'll turn at any given moment." Ellis coughed and squeezed Nick's hand.

"Nick..."

"I'm here."

"Nick, there's somethin'...somethin' I gotta tell you." Nick felt his stomach drop upon seeing the heavy nosebleed Ellis was now sporting.

"What is it?" Ellis's head started to flop to one side. Nick shook him.

"Come on, Ellis, stay awake. Tell me." Ellis groaned.

"Nick, I..." He began coughing violently once more, frightening amounts of blood coming up and dripping down his chin. Once the coughing stopped he fell limp. He had stopped breathing. Nick shook him again.

"Ellis! _Ellis!_" He called his name desperately but Ellis would not respond. Nick clenched his jaw and lowered his head. This couldn't be happening. Coach solemnly began to recite Psalm 23:4 but Nick interrupted.

"Shut up!" he barked, "He's not dead!" Several long, painful moments passed. No one budged, mainly for fear of upsetting Nick. Then suddenly..._Ellis moved._ The mechanic sat up, his hat low over his eyes. A few tears escaped Nick's eyes.

"Ellis! You're okay!" Ellis did not respond. "Ellis?" A low growl sounded deep in the boy's throat. Nick froze. The way the shadow of his hat hid his eyes, the way the blood painted his face from his nose and mouth, the way that feral growl sounded...Right now he looked very much like a-

"Hunter!" the nurse screamed, "He's a Hunter!" Ellis sprung himself at Nick, knocking him to the floor. Before he blacked out, Nick could see Ellis's eyes clearly. They were hidden behind a thick white film and they held no recognition of the gambler. Ellis was gone. Nick gave a single sob as everything went dark.

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_A/N: OMG! WHAT A MONSTER CHAPTER! MY WRIST IS GONNA FALL OFF! Anyways...Fear not, dear readers, for this is only the beginning of their tale. Also, this might be slash in the end, might not. I haven't really decided yet. And these lines could totally work in a smut: _Ellis moaned softly in his feverish state, shifting uncomfortably. His face glistened with sweat and his breathing had hitched. _AMIRITE? XD_

_Reviews help me muchly!_


	2. Chapter 2

Nick awoke with a terrible start, covered in frigid sweat. He frantically patted the front of his torso checking for scratches. When he saw that there were none (apart from the few old ones on his chest) he scrambled to his feet to look for his companions, namely Ellis. Though it was still dark he could see their sleeping forms around the room, Coach in the half-destroyed armchair in the corner, Rochelle on the floor to Nick's left, and Ellis under the table with a rifle under his arm. Nick sighed heavily and leaned against the wall. _A dream_, he thought with mild relief, _Just a terrible dream._ It had been so _vivid_. And what had Ellis been trying to tell him before he turned? Nick slid into a sitting position. What had been so important that he had needed to tell him on his death bed? He shook his head vigorously.

"Stupid!" he hissed at himself. It was just a dream. Ellis had nothing important to say to Nick and Nick wouldn't care one way the other if he did. But if that were the case...

_Why was the dream so terrifying?_

Nick had always had the habit of waking up before the rest of the team, as he had with going to sleep after them, so no one was suspicious that he was up and ready by the time they dragged themselves awake. Ellis was also an early bird, always taking the job of rousing the others with that obnoxiously chipper attitude of his. But this morning he seemed...different. He was up his usual time but he moved slower, as if he had not gotten enough rest. He was unusually groggy and did not partake in his morning ritual of waking Coach and Rochelle. Nick was confused about this but did not ask questions. What did he care that Ellis wasn't acting like himself? Besides, once he had become fully alert, Ellis was being just as annoying as he normally was. Problem solved.

.

The city was clearly larger than anyone had originally thought. It would take perhaps three or four days to make it to the other side, more if the Hordes were as bad as the last one.

"Maybe we would have been better off walking around all this," Rochelle noted quietly, more than likely thinking out loud. Ellis decided to use this as a story prompt.

"Y'know, Keith and I got lost in a city once. We had to've been walkin' for about nine hours before we finally asked for directions. Turns out we'd been walkin'-"

"We don't have time for this, Ellis," Coach grumbled from the front of the pack. Easygoing as always, Ellis merely uttered an "okay" and stayed silent for awhile. By now Nick had almost completely forgotten the dream. His mind had a knack for pushing unimportant thoughts out of his head and keeping focus on what mattered to him. Though he had been shaken in the early hours of the day, he was fine now. Well, as fine as one could be trapped in an abandoned city somewhere in the Deep South surrounded by zombies and morons. At least Ellis wasn't babbling.

Having encountered very few stragglers and only one minor Horde with no Specials, the team was in good spirits by the time it reached the next safe house. Even Nick joined in on the laughter. It seemed things were getting somewhat better for them, if only for a moment.

"Y'know what I miss?" Ellis said, "Apple pie. Straight outta the oven." The others gave grunts and words of agreement.

"I'll tell you what, Ellis," Nick said, patting the boy on the shoulder, "When I get evacuated I'll leave an apple pie behind so when you guys get there you can have some." Ellis's smile fell and he stared in shock at the con man.

"What d'you mean when you get evacuated? We're all gettin' evacuated together...aren't we?" Nick chuckled at his wide-eyed, dumbstruck expression.

"I told you back when we first met I wouldn't be sticking around long. I've been staying out of circumstantial convenience. You didn't get attached to me, didja, _Ayellis_?" The mechanic bit the inside of his cheek and swiftly turned his head away. Nick brushed it off and looked for a comfortable spot to spend the night in. It would be a long day tomorrow, just like every day he spent with these stupid people.

.

The following day the team set out again into the lethal maze of the dead city. Nick was feeling good, confident. Soon he would be rid of these idiotic people. When he was evacuated alone he would tell the military about them to show his measly gratitude for watching his back but he wouldn't wait for them. He had always considered friendship to be a pile of horseshit and a waste of time.

Wait a second.

This seemed painfully familiar. Where had Nick felt this before? He was sure he knew this feeling from somewhere else but he couldn't quite place it. Figuring it was probably nothing he tried to shake the weirdness off and focus on what he was doing. He soon forgot why he was feeling strange in the first place and returned to a calm, almost cocky state of mind.

It was mid-afternoon when the next Horde attacked and Nick couldn't have asked for better timing. The safe house was just around the corner but it was still relatively early. Alone he could find another one further down the road and be closer to evac than the moron brigade. Everything was going great...until the Jockey decided Nick's head had gone too long without its crotch rubbing on it. He hadn't even noticed the little bugger until it was jumping onto his back. Now he was being directed straight into the heart of the Horde and he doubted the others either wanted to help or were even able to. _Lived a good life_, he thought as the mass amount of zombies began to swallow him, _for the most part._ And then the Jockey was gone. Just like that. Bewildered, Nick turned to see a very angry and very worried looking Ellis holding a shotgun and attempting to drag him out of the Horde.

"Come on!" he shouted. It was then the bizarre feeling returned. He knew something terrible was about to happen and there was nothing he could do about it but he couldn't for the life of him remember _what_. Suddenly, as Ellis was dragging him out of the Horde, a zombie grabbed onto the mechanic's left arm and bit down onto it. The scream of pain was definitely something Nick remembered and it chilled him to the bone. Was he reliving a nightmare? No, that would be ridiculous. Why would he have a nightmare about _Ellis_ of all people? Even so...Nick felt terribly worried about his young companion in this moment and this compelled him to insist on wrapping the wound. Ellis refused but Nick's right arm was stronger than Ellis's left so he was able to tug the boy close enough to examine the bite. It was deep and bleeding rather badly. Nick wasted no time in wrapping it with spare gauze. Ellis grasped his sleeve just before he pulled away.

"Don't tell them," he mumbled, "Coach and Rochelle. I don't want them to know." It was then that Nick came to the realization that this _was_ a dream, the same one as the night before in fact. But even with this realization he couldn't wake himself. He was forced by his own subconscious to endure the fear, pain, and sorrow all over again.

Everything was the same in the dream, down to the position Nick fell asleep in just before the nurse from the other group came to give them the grim news that Ellis was going to die. Every twinge of worry, every spark of fear, every single flicker of emotion Nick experienced was exactly the same. Sometimes in recurring dreams the emotion dwindles when one realizes it is in fact a dream but not this time. Not for Nick. He still felt that overwhelming sadness and terror when Ellis became a Hunter and knew him no longer, seeing him only as a new victim to tear limb from limb. He still awoke freezing and breathless, tears fresh in his eyes. Was this how he was going to spend his nights until he left the group? And would that even help? As he lay in the dark, silent tears sliding down his face, Nick wondered if he would ever taste happiness again.

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_A/N: Shitastic chapter, I know. I've been forcing my creative streak and it's showing. I guess I'm trying to incorporate the blurriness of a dream that you know is a dream and the highly disturbing effect the dream has on Nick, despite his dislike of Ellis. The next chapter will be fairly short as chapter 4 willl be the plot twist. That's when my writing will get better, I promise. Reviews help me!_


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